Supervisory mechanism



Patented Feb. 28, 1922.

NA NW UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFlCE.

CHARLES E. RENSI'IAW, OF EAST GRANGE, NEW" 5 Eli/SE1; .AESEGNGR TONEWMAN CLOCK COMPANY, INC, OF NEW YORK,

N. L, A COR'PQBATIQN OF NEjI-T YORK.

SUPERVISOITJY HIECI-IANISM.

Application filed May 2 To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. Rnnsrmw, a citizen of the United States,residing East Orange, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Supervisory Mechanism,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Valves for controlling the flow of fluids are in such common use thatthey form a component part of practically every mechanical equipment ingeneral use. Under certain conditions it is essential that they shouldremain open or remain closed at all times except for making repairs,extensions or for other recognized purposes; and it is a well recognizedfact that loss of life and great damage has resulted/through oversightor design in permitting valves to remain closed when their normalposition should be open, and vice versa...

The invention which constitutes the subject matter of this applicationrelates to supervisory mechanism, specifically described in connectionwith sprinkler systems. The use of automatic sprinkler systems is coming more and more into vogue, but like all other systems of waterdistribution the valves at times must necessarily be closed temporarilyin order to eflfect repairs, to prevent freezing, and for many otherpurposes. There has been and is a tendency on the part of workmentoleave one or more of the valves closed, thereby putting a part or thewhole of the system completely out of commission with a result ofconsiderable losses in cases of fire. 7

My invention therefore has to do with a mechanism for controlling accessto a receptacle or other device, which contains an instrument forproducing a record upon the record dial of a watchmans clock, or foroperating a signal at a central station, one

of the important features of which resides in the specific form ofmechanism connecting the valve with the box containing the recordproducing instrument. As one specific application of my invention Ishall describe the same in connection with a receptacle which contains amagneto or similar device which, when operated, 1s capable of ,sendingan electrical impulse over a wire to a central station to make a recordor operate a suitable signal. That is to say when the valve is open, asit normally Specification of Letters Patent.

Fatented Feb. 28, 1922.

1918. Serial no. 235,431.

should be, access may be had to the magneto, but if the valve is closedor partly so, the magneto is inaccessible. As each of these valves isequipped with a magneto box impulses may be sent at stated intervals toa central station, which indicate the times at which the station wasvisited. So long as these signals are actuated or the records made atthe required intervals, it is a sure indication that the valves at thoseparticular times were opened. But if the signals are not actuated it isan equally sure indication that the valves at that particular time werenot in normal position. Of course if it is a part of the watchmans dutyto open the valve, or more accurately speaking to move it back to normalposition, he could then send the necessary impulse over the wire to thecentral station.

Another feature of my invention consists in providing a device of thekind described whereby the magneto box may be located at variabledistances from the valve to which it is connected.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 illustrates a side view of the preferred embodiment of myinvention, certain parts being in section to show the interiorconstruction.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the magneto box.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the reference numeral 10 designatesthe water supply to the sprinkler coming from any suitable pipe (notshown). Located in this supply is a valve 11 provided with a yoke 12, athreaded sleeve 13 rotatably mounted in the yoke, a valve stem 14:screw-threaded to the sleeve, and a manipulating handle 15 fixed to thesleeve 13 and adapted to rotate the same in order to impart alongitudinal movement to the valve-stem 141: and the gate valve (notshown) attached thereto.

The mechanism just described is old and Well known and I make no claimthereto, except as it constitutes or is an element of the combination.

Located in proximity to the valve just described is the controllingmechanism which comprises a pipe or tubular member 16. screwthreaded orotherwise connected to the supply 10 on the one hand and to the case 17on the other, and this pipe, in conjunction with the passages 18 and 19in said casin establishes a connection between said supply 10 and thechamber 20. Separating the passages 18 and 19 is a valve 21 heldnormally, closed by means of the swing 22 encircling the stem 23, andwithin the chamber 20 is a plunger 24 normally held in the positionillustrated by means of'the spring 25 surrounding the stem 26 upon theouter end of which is a flexible rod 27 screwthreaded or otherwiseattached thereto. Connecting the passage 19 with the exterior are one ormore bleed ports 28 adapted to be closed by means of a valve 29,provided with a stem 30 and spring 31. Pivoted at 32 to a bracket 33 isa lever one arm 34 of which is adapted to engage the outer end of thestem 23 and the other arm of which is adapted to engage the outer end ofthe stem 30.

Also pivoted at 36 to the bracket 33 is a bell crank lever one arm 37 ofwhich is adapted to bear against arm 34 of lever 34-35 and the other arm38 of which is provided with an antifriction roller 40 normally engagingin a recess 41 cut in the valve stem 14. It will, therefore, be obviousthat if the stem 14 is moved in a direction to close the valve attachedthereto a countor-clockwise movement will be imparted to the lever37-38. This will also result in imparting a counterclockwise movement tothe arm 34-35 thereby positively opening the valve 21 and permitting thevalve 29 to close. This operation establishes a connection between thepipe 10 and chamber 20 with a result that the plunger 24 is depressed,that is moved to the left against the tension of the spring 25.

It may be stated at this point that when the valve stem 14 is moved backto normal position the valve 21 will be closed and the valve 29 openedunder the tension of the spring 22, and that when the valve 29 is openedthe tension of the spring 25 is sufficient, among other things, to forcethe water out of the chamber 20 to return the plunger 24, stem 26 androd 27 to normal position.

At 42 is illustrated a receptacle in which is contained a magneto 43provided with a square-ended operating shaft 44 located opposite theopening 45 in the front wall of said receptacle 42. The front wall ofthis eceptacle is also provided on the interior thereof with a slide 46connected to and adapted to be actuated by the rod 27. This slide isprovided with an opening 47 corresponding in shape to and normallyregistering with the opening 45. lVhen the fluid pressure mechanism isactuated, as previously described, the slide 46 is moved to the leftbringing the opening 47 out of registry with opening 45 in the frontwall of the receptacle. When in the normal position with theperioratiom; 45 and 47 in registry an operating tool or key may be insorted therethrough to engage with the shaft 44 to actuate the magneto.hen these periorations are out of registry the shaft 44 is inaccessibleas will be understood. A suitable tube 48 is provided for the rod 27 toenable an end thrust to be imparted thereto suflicient to move the slide46 to bring the perforations out of registry.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided. a simplemechanism actuated by the pressure in the pipe 10 to prevent thewatchman from making a record while visiting that particular station,provided the valve is not in proper position. In operation thesupervisor visits each valve equipped with my invention and if the valveis found to be closed or open as the particular system requires, it isthen possible for him to obtain access to the magneto to send anelectrical impulse to operate a signal or make a record at a centralstation, which is indisputable evidence that the valve was at that timeand place in normal position. If, however, the supervisor should beunable to obtain access to the magneto he would then know that the valveis not in its normal position, and he would thus be unable to operatethe magneto until thevalve had been restored to normal position. And ifthe device for receiving the electrical impulse does not show operationscovering all the valves which he is required to supervise it could bereadily determined which valve or valves he had found not to be innormal position.

As before stated, the construction illustrated and described is merelyone of the preferred embodiments and it is to be understood that I donot limit myself thereto as it is obvious not only that'many changes maybe made in point of detail but that other embodiments may be resorted toWithout departing from the true spirit and scope of my invention.

\Vhat I claim is:

l. The combination with a normally open valve, of an electrical devicenormally accessible for making a record, means for rendering saidelectrical device inaccessible, and fluid pressure means adapted toactuate the aforesaid means when the valve is moved towards its closedposition.

2. The combination with a valve, of a container for a record producinginstrument, said instrument being accessible when the valve is in normalposition, means in said receptacle for rendering said instrumentinaccessible. and means for connecting said valve and containercomprising a flexible rod for receiving a longitudinal thrust-andadapted to actuate the aforesaid means when the valve is moved from itsnormal position.

3. .he combination with a valve, of a containcr for a record producinginstrument having a perforation in its wall, means in said receptacleprovided with a perforation normally registering with the perforation inthe wall of the container to enable a tool to be inserted to give accessto the instrument in said container, and means adapted to actuate theaforesaid means to bring the perforations out of registry when the valveis moved from its normal position.

In combination, a valve, a manually operable instrument, a container forsaid instrument, a closure for said container, and means for operatingsaid closure to open and closed position by opening and closing saidvalve.

5. In combination, a valve, an indicating system comprising a deviceadapted to be engaged by a manually operable key, a member provided witha key-hole through which said key must be passed to engage said device,and means controlled by said valve for obstructing said key-hole.

6. In combination, a valve, an indicating system comprising a deviceadapted to be engaged by a manually operable key, a movable memberprovided with a key-hole through which said key must be passed to engagesaid device, and means controlled by said valve for moving said member.

7. In combination, a valve, a manually operable indication-producingmeans, a 1011- gitudinally movable flexible rod, and means comprisingsaid rod for preventing operation of said indication-producing meanswhen said valve is in abnormal condition.

8. In combination, a valve, a manually operable indication-controllingdevice, a longitudinally movable flexible rod, and means comprising saidrod for preventing access to said device when said valve is in abnormalcondition.

9. In combination, valve, a circuit-con trolling device adapted to beoperated by a watchman in making his rounds, a. longitudinally movableflexible rod, and means comprising said rod for preventing the watchmanfrom exercising control of the circuit controlled by said device whenthe valve is in abnormal condition.

10. I11 combination, a valve, a manually operable indication-producingmeans, means for preventing operation of said first named means, andconnections including a Bowden wire between said valve and second namedmeans.

11. In combination, a valve, a manually operable indication controllingdevice, means for controlling access to said device, and meanscomprising a Bowden wire connecting said valve and first named means.

12. A supervisory system as set forth in claim in which the device is amagneto.

13. A supervisory system as set forth in claim 6 in which the device isa magneto.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

CHARLES E. RENSHAW.

